Just when you’re ready to conclude that everything’s already been invented, a whole new industry comes along, opening the door for inventing a host of awesome things relating to the new field. It seems that as long as there’s a desire for the latest and greatest thing, there will always be opportunities for inventors.
But how do you go about creating the ultimate gadget? Here are some suggestions for how to go about it. And once you read the ideas below, check out this link for some top inspirational tips for creating an invention that’s successful.
Many of today’s gadgets began as someone’s brainstorm. Could yours be next?
See a Need and Fill It
Back when I first started my writing career, the editor of the magazine I was trying to write for asked me what subjects I wanted to write about specifically. My reply was “What are the subjects that you’d love to see covered but that no one has touched?” That approach apparently endeared me to that editor, and I got a lot of work from him. And if you think about it, writing original material is like inventing a gadget, only in the former case, you’re using words!
Do a Google search on topics like “what inventions do we need?”, and see what comes up. The Internet is positively rife with articles about what sort of things we really need to have. It could get your creative juices flowing, and pose a good challenge.
Look Inside Yourself
As a corollary to the idea of seeing a need, ask yourself what sort of thing YOU would want to see. How many creative people have invented something just for their own gratification? Maybe you have a desire that the rest of the world doesn’t realize it also has until someone like you shows them!)
Improve an Existing Idea
Maybe there’s a newly invented gadget out there that’s been well-received, but perhaps the creator didn’t take the concept far enough. It’s possible that there are new features to be added, refinements if you will, and maybe so many that the end result is a whole new invention in itself. So in other words, there’s nothing wrong with standing on the shoulders of giants.
Get Inspiration From Past Stories
Speaking of research, read up on the stories of how certain inventions came about. There’s nothing like a rousing success story, one where adversity and/or rejection is overcome, to really fire up a new inventor. This is especially useful as a motivational tool when you realize how many successful famous inventors/artists met with rejection early on.
For instance, Parker Brothers at first actually rejected the Monopoly board game because they thought it was filled with errors. Decca Records rejected the Beatles because they didn’t like their sound and guitar music was supposedly dying out. Then there’s the more recent, and very famous story of a Yale University management professor who gave a C to student Fred Smith’s paper on an overnight delivery service. Smith would eventually found Federal Express!
There are opportunities out there for the enterprising, creative mind with an entrepreneurial spirit and the drive to succeed. Who knows? Maybe someday people will look at your story as a way of inspiring their own inventor aspirations! Good luck!
